Hey all!
Introduction about me and my search for my dream car here:
In 2013 I got employed at my current job and have always wanted a Chevelle. I started looking seriously around then as I was making big boy money, joined the forum, asked for help here and began researching/learning about them. Got kind of discouraged, but kept on checking craigslist and ads. Got married last August and turned 31 in June. Told my wife that I was buying a Chevelle for my birthday and she loved it. Said "Since our first date you told me you would have one someday."
I was still looking on craigslist everyday and checked out a few. One stalled out on me when I put it into drive, another was lipstick on a pig. I even started going to body shops that had rollers and debated restoring one. So after some months a co-worker said, "You should check facebook marketplace." I sent out some messages and a nice woman got back to me. I went out to see the car and fell in love with it. Her husband had restored in in 2010 and passed away. It upset her to see it and she said she knew that he wouldn't want it to sit in a garage. No one in her family wanted it as it was "Dads car". She explained it wouldn't be right if she sold it to someone who was going to rip it apart and make it something else. We talked on the phone a couple of times and she agreed to sell it to me and you could sense the emotions when I finally picked it up. The original owner kept the receipts for every part and work order, and anytime a part was removed, replaced, or refurbished he took a picture of the old part with the new part next to it, or before and after refurbishment.
Knowing I lucked out, onto the car:
71 Chevelle SS clone in the beautiful Mulsanne Blue with black stripes. Column shift, bench seat. (I originally wanted buckets with a 4speed, but I'm older now and wanted a bench and automatic so the wife and I can cruise with her head on my shoulder!)
307 with a TH400. I believe it has 4.11 gears, non-posi.
New quarters, fenders, hood, trunk, vinyl top, chrome all around, interior. Work for the body/paint from what I'm adding up was $26,000
Last few things I need to button her up are: Fix the fuel gauge (Posted about it). SS badge on the rear bumper, and sit the hood properly on the back. Mechanic told me the cam is starting to go, so I think I may replace the engine at some point with a 350 crate. Then I will be content with how it sits. If anything else jumps out at anyone let me know! Glad to be here as a proud Chevelle owner. The amount of thumbs up, beeps, and people talking to me about it I was NOT prepared for. But I love it to death.
Introduction about me and my search for my dream car here:
In 2013 I got employed at my current job and have always wanted a Chevelle. I started looking seriously around then as I was making big boy money, joined the forum, asked for help here and began researching/learning about them. Got kind of discouraged, but kept on checking craigslist and ads. Got married last August and turned 31 in June. Told my wife that I was buying a Chevelle for my birthday and she loved it. Said "Since our first date you told me you would have one someday."
I was still looking on craigslist everyday and checked out a few. One stalled out on me when I put it into drive, another was lipstick on a pig. I even started going to body shops that had rollers and debated restoring one. So after some months a co-worker said, "You should check facebook marketplace." I sent out some messages and a nice woman got back to me. I went out to see the car and fell in love with it. Her husband had restored in in 2010 and passed away. It upset her to see it and she said she knew that he wouldn't want it to sit in a garage. No one in her family wanted it as it was "Dads car". She explained it wouldn't be right if she sold it to someone who was going to rip it apart and make it something else. We talked on the phone a couple of times and she agreed to sell it to me and you could sense the emotions when I finally picked it up. The original owner kept the receipts for every part and work order, and anytime a part was removed, replaced, or refurbished he took a picture of the old part with the new part next to it, or before and after refurbishment.
Knowing I lucked out, onto the car:
71 Chevelle SS clone in the beautiful Mulsanne Blue with black stripes. Column shift, bench seat. (I originally wanted buckets with a 4speed, but I'm older now and wanted a bench and automatic so the wife and I can cruise with her head on my shoulder!)
307 with a TH400. I believe it has 4.11 gears, non-posi.
New quarters, fenders, hood, trunk, vinyl top, chrome all around, interior. Work for the body/paint from what I'm adding up was $26,000
Last few things I need to button her up are: Fix the fuel gauge (Posted about it). SS badge on the rear bumper, and sit the hood properly on the back. Mechanic told me the cam is starting to go, so I think I may replace the engine at some point with a 350 crate. Then I will be content with how it sits. If anything else jumps out at anyone let me know! Glad to be here as a proud Chevelle owner. The amount of thumbs up, beeps, and people talking to me about it I was NOT prepared for. But I love it to death.